Gaining Perspective

I read somewhere that all perception is misperception, and I see some truth in that. Not that our perceptions are mis- in the literal sense of wrong or bad— they just don’t represent the whole picture. So perhaps it’s more accurate (and less judgmental) to say that all perception is, at best, partial perception.

This isn’t a negative thing at all—in fact, it adds a lot of spice to life. The only problem is that I forget it. Not as easily or often as I used to, but I still forget. I forget that we all tend to be aware of different parts of the whole, and therefore see things differently, and give them meaning through our unique lenses.

I forget that it doesn’t serve anyone for me to expect you to perceive things as I do, or to judge you when you invariably don’t. It doesn’t help when I blame you for the feelings and states of consciousness I experience when I forget that it’s OK for you to have your own perceptions.

I forget that when I open myself to your perceptions and add them to my own, I’m closer to a whole perspective, and closer to love. I forget that my work is to allow my own perceptions to point me toward love, so I can do the same with yours.

Mostly, I forget that my heart never forgets any of this. So my intention for 2018 is to open and live in my heart even more, so I become even less of an amnesiac… and even more of a servant.